Tokyo has urged Beijing to “ensure the safety of Japanese residents in China” after a wave of telephone harassment targeting businesses in Japan sparked by the controversial discharge of Fukushima wastewater last week. While Japan insists the release of the treated water is safe – a view backed by the UN’s nuclear watchdog – China has staunchly opposed it and banned all Japanese seafood imports, saying it contaminates the ocean. The Japanese government on Sunday published new data showing waters off Fukushima continued to post radioactivity levels well within safe…
Tag: Environment
Heatwaves, flood and fire: what it’s like to survive 2023’s extreme weather – video
In 2023, the effects of the climate crisis have come into sharp focus. Much of the northern hemisphere endured a blistering heatwave, while other countries were inundated with torrential rain and catastrophic flooding. A number of climate records – some unofficial – tumbled in recent weeks. The Guardian spoke to four people from Hawaii, India, China and the Middle East directly affected by extreme weather events The Guardian
Fukushima: China accused of hypocrisy over its own release of wastewater from nuclear plants
As China bans all seafood from Japan after the discharge of 1m tonnes of radioactive water from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, Beijing has been accused of hypocrisy and of using the incident to whip up anti-Japanese sentiment. Scientists have pointed out that China’s own nuclear power plants release wastewater with higher levels of tritium than that found in Fukushima’s discharge, and that the levels are all within the boundaries of levels not considered to be harmful to human health. On Thursday, Tokyo Electric…
China’s moratoriums on fishing do ‘nothing to protect squid’
Annual short-term moratoriums on squid fishing imposed by Chinese authorities are probably meaningless as there appeared to be little fishing activity in the areas before the bans were announced, analysis has claimed. In 2020, China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs announced a pilot program banning fishing in parts of the south-west Atlantic Ocean from July to October, and parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean from September to December. “During the period, all Chinese fishing boats in the area will suspend operations,” the ministry said. However, an analysis by the…
China floods: at least 14 killed after torrential rain in north-east
At least 14 people are dead after torrential rain hit China’s north-eastern Jilin province, state media has reported, in the latest fatalities from more than a week of weather-related disasters across the country. China has been hit with record heavy rains in recent weeks, with Beijing saying on Friday that natural disasters had caused 147 deaths or disappearances last month. A further 14 deaths and one missing person were reported on Sunday by state-run broadcaster CCTV, citing local authorities, after heavy rain in the north-eastern city of Shulan. Rescuers transfer…
Weather tracker: Typhoons Talim and Doksuri batter China
China has been battered by two typhoons in recent weeks that have caused severe flooding across the east coast. Typhoon Talim hit the south on 17 July, with gusts of 85mph (137km/h), according to the Guangdong weather bureau. Days later, on 28 July, Typhoon Doksuri struck Fujian province on China’s south-eastern coast with gusts above 100mph. Strong winds tore down trees and spread large amounts of debris, but it was heavy rain that caused the biggest problems as soils were already saturated. Doksuri then travelled north, triggering red alerts for…
Aftermath of Typhoon Doksuri brought Beijing floods, meteorologists explain
Summers in China are often wet, sometimes very wet, but nothing like the drenching that has engulfed Beijing and its neighbouring provinces this week. As Beijing authorities lifted the flood alert on Wednesday morning, after the city’s heaviest rainfall for 140 years, 21 people across the region were confirmed dead. Dozens more were missing. According to reports, almost a million people have been evacuated in the region. Rescue and recovery crews searched flooded streets in rubber dinghies for any trapped behind. Hundreds of flights were either delayed or cancelled at…
Heavy rain hits China around Beijing – in pictures
Heavy rain has hit China after Typhoon Doksuri, which has caused flooding that has destroyed roads, uprooted trees and knocked out power. Torrential rain in areas around Beijing has killed at least 20 people and left 27 missing. Thousands of people were evacuated to shelters in schools and other public buildings in suburban Beijing and in the nearby cities of Tianjin and Zhuozhou The Guardian
Airport submerged as widespread flooding continues in China – video report
At least 11 people have been killed in Beijing after four days of torrential downpours, according to Chinese state media. A further 27 people have been reported missing since Typhoon Doksuri triggered widespread flooding in the north of the country. Authorities in the capital have closed more than 100 mountain roads and evacuated at least 52,000 people from their homes in recent days. The military is coordinating rescue missions and delivering aid to residents in the worst-hit suburbs amid one of the strongest storms to hit China in years. Meteorologists…
Man rescued from car swept into river as Typhoon Doksuri hits China – video
Two people are reported to have been killed by severe flooding that has engulfed parts of Beijing, as Typhoon Doksuri struck the Chinese capital. More than 31,000 people have been evacuated from the city. Heavy rain continued in Beijing, as well as Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi, as the typhoon dissipated over northern China The Guardian